Archive for December 19, 2008
Don’t Forget to Squeeze – You Could Make History
December 17, 2008, marked the 105th anniversary of the first flight in Kitty Hawk.
This ‘first flight” picture was taken by little John T. Daniels. The story goes that little John was given one small job to do on that cold December morning in 1903 – just squeeze the camera bulb when the plane lifts up. Of course, no one believed that huge contraption called a “flying machine” would ever fly, especially little John. So when the plane did lift off for 12 seconds and travel 120 feet on that first time under it’s own power, little John found himself so scared that he knocked over the camera stand and was last seen running home to Manteo.
When the brothers saw little John take off and the broken camera on the ground, Orville and Wilbur were very disappointed that their history making first flight would never be seen by anyone other than themselves. There would be no picture of that “First Flight”.
After several more flights that day – the last one traveling 852 feet in 59 seconds – the brothers packed up for home. They took the broken camera with them to Ohio in hopes of salvaging something. With nothing to lose, they had the photo plate developed and rest is history. Little John did in fact squeeze that bulb on that historic day.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk is a place that should not be missed. On your next visit, you must stop by and see where history was made. You will truly be amazed.
NCsaltaire 